Pioneering: A passion for inventing
Amazon's evolution from online bookstore to device manufacturer, publishing service, global marketplace, fulfilment network and cloud computing provider is driven by our passion for pioneering and inventing on customers' behalf. The world's best inventors come to Amazon to build new technologies and services that improve the lives of customers: consumers, sellers, content creators, and developers around the world.
We're a company of builders. Of pioneers. It's our job to make bold bets, and we get our energy from inventing on behalf of customers. Here are just some of the innovations pioneered by Amazon, and we're always looking for the next one.
Amazon Partners with UK Government to explore safe use of drones for delivery
We are pleased to announce a new programme with the UK Government to explore the steps needed to make the delivery of parcels by small drones a reality for our customers.
Technology at work
Over the past 20 years, Amazon has developed from a small seller working from a garage in Seattle, to a global company with 300 million worldwide active customer accounts. In Europe alone, we have a thriving network of 40 fulfilment centers in seven countries. In 2015, we shipped over one billion units to our many customers across Europe.
Global innovation at the heart of Europe
Europe is an important component of Amazon’s innovation story and global success. That’s why we continue to invest heavily in research and development, with teams in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Austria and Ireland working on cutting-edge technology to help innovate on behalf of customers.
Amazon Business
Amazon Business is a marketplace of more than one hundred million B2B products on Amazon.co.uk, combined with a set of unique features designed to serve the procurement needs of businesses of every size. Purchasing online for businesses has never been easier – it’s everything customers know and love about Amazon, but for business.
Machine Learning: Using Algorithms to Sort Fruit
At Amazon, we’ve been engaged in the practical application of machine learning for many years now. Some of this work is highly visible, but much of what we do with machine learning happens beneath the surface – quietly but meaningfully improving our core operations.
Fire tablets
Amazon introduced the first Fire tablets in the UK in September 2012, making it easy for customers to access millions of movies, TV shows, songs, books, magazines, apps and games. Fire tablet also included free storage for Amazon content in the Cloud, and great features like Whispersync, a vibrant color touch screen, and a powerful processor.
Prime Air
Amazon Prime Air is a future delivery system that will get packages to customers in 30 minutes or less using small unmanned aerial vehicles. With Prime Air, we're developing a system that is safe, environmentally sound and enhances the services we already provide to millions of customers.
Amazon Prime
In 2007, Amazon launched Amazon Prime—offering an unlimited one-day delivery membership programme for about a million products. Our vision was that fast delivery should be an everyday experience—rather than an occasional indulgence, and many sceptics thought we were crazy.
Amazon Web Services
We built Amazon Web Services (AWS) and became one of its biggest customers because we wanted to move faster. Before AWS, we had teams working on new ideas for the business and we found that they kept reinventing the wheel. They were spending the majority of their time on the undifferentiating parts of the infrastructure required to make the idea work. That just seemed backwards to us.
Fire TV
In September 2014, Amazon launched Fire TV, a tiny box that plugs into an HDTV for easy and instant access to streaming and catch-up services such as Netflix, Amazon Video, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My5 and more. Fire TV also brings photos, music, and games to the living room.
The Mayday Button
Launched in Ocotber 2013, the Mayday button brings your own personal tech advisor directly to your sofa or desk. The Mayday Button on Fire HDX tablets provides live, on-device tech support—24x7, 365 days a year, and it's free. Just tap the "Mayday" button and you'll be connected for free to an Amazon expert who can co-pilot you through any feature by drawing on the screen, walking you through how to do something yourself, or doing it for you—whatever works best. 15 seconds or less is the response time goal.
Build A Great App
Amazon users are very high quality users. User engagement with edjing on Amazon is higher than on any other service.
Fulfilment by Amazon
Launched in 2006, Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) is now used by millions of sellers around the world. FBA enables sellers to use Amazon's fulfilment network to store, pack and deliver their products directly to customers while offering Amazon Prime benefits, free delivery, simple exporting, streamlined cross-border trade, easy returns and Amazon customer service.
Amazon Launchpad
Introduced in 2015, Amazon Launchpad makes it easy for startups to launch, market, and distribute their products to millions of Amazon customers across the globe. Amazon Launchpad works with leading venture capital firms, startup accelerators, and crowd-funding services to help startups successfully launch around the world.
Prime Now
In June 2015, Amazon launched Prime Now in parts of London, and has since expanded to cities across the UK including Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester and Liverpool – with more to come.
Benefits of selling your products on AmazonFresh
AmazonFresh Local Shops and Markets gives you the opportunity to offer your products to Amazon Prime customers as part of their weekly grocery shop on AmazonFresh. We work with London's finest bakers, butchers, fishmongers, specialty food stores and wine merchants and deliver their products to Amazon customers alongside their normal weekly grocery shop. As a seller, you're in complete control of your business and have access to a host of benefits to help spread your unique story to AmazonFresh customers. Read more about the business below - and apply today!
Kindle
Kindle is designed from the ground up for reading. Amazon launched first the Kindle in the UK in July 2010 with the vision of offering every book, ever written, in any language, all available within 60 seconds. We spent more than three years building the original Kindle—a first-of-its-kind portable reader that looked and read like real paper, even in bright sunlight.
Amazon Pantry
In November 2015, Amazon.co.uk launched Amazon Pantry, a new nationwide service exclusive to Amazon Prime members. Amazon Pantry offers thousands of low-priced everyday essentials in everyday sizes, including food and drink, household supplies, baby and child care products, pet, and health and beauty products.
1-Click
Launched in 1997, 1-Click gives customers the ability to make purchases on the Web with just one click of the mouse.
AmazonFresh
Launched in 2016, AmazonFresh allows Prime members in hundreds of postcodes in London and the South East to shop from a vast selection of competitively priced products.